Piano Win!

I have piano lessons! After much email tag among various members of the music department, I was finally able to get a hold of a PhD student named Georgia, who teaches piano in addition to working on her degree in musicology. I just met with her this morning, and she liked my playing (despite it being quite crappy--not only have I not touched a piano in at least six weeks, but the piano at our disposal was a very temperamental upright with very little volume control), and said she would be happy to give me lessons. She's going to email the department to see about getting me access to the practice rooms. Even if that fails, she indicated that since she's in the building working all the time anyway, she can let me in secretly. It was a good meeting, and she seems very nice, so I'll be happy to work with her. Exciting! Finally!

This weekend was quite nice as well. I went into town with Marta a couple times, and then was able to hang out with Erin back at their flat. We're getting revved up about our Thanksgiving plans, which we're holding on the 1st of November. I have to make an epic trip to Morrison's to get all of the baking stuff I need, but with some planning I may be able to go with a group, and then we can split the price of a taxi to get back. Anyway, it will be fun times.

Also, on Sunday Erin and I got our craft on and made picture frames through one of the little bonding sessions the union holds for the students, which was both random and fun. Kind of an activity for 5-year-olds, including poster paint and ridiculous feathers, but we met some cool people, and managed to be slightly more sophisticated in our designs than children. In a couple of weeks, we're going to paint mugs too!

I am secretly still seven. But with better motor skills.

And now I must chug coffee before seminar and finish A Tale of Two Cities, which I'm quite enjoying. I don't know why all high schools insist on students reading Great Expectations first, because that is by far my least favorite Dickens novel so far. Maybe it's the whole bildungsroman thing.

Incidentally, the reason I'm now finishing Dickens today instead of yesterday is that I got distracted by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. If you haven't heard of it, it is literally Jane Austen's novel word for word (she's credited as the co-author), except that in addition to dealing with Regency issues of class, society, and romance, the Bennets must also deal with the fact that England has been overrun with the walking dead. One would think the device of zombies would get old after the first hundred pages, but it really doesn't. Mostly because not only are there zombies, but also ninjas. Also, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy bond over beheading zombies with katanas. It's like if Quentin Tarantino decided to direct a Merchant Ivory film. Gold. Pure, ridiculous gold.

So yeah, a very entertaining few days, in many different ways.